While there is so much fanfare surrounding the Big East tournament taking place a few miles away at Madison Square Garden, 12 college teams will be vying to make history in Brooklyn starting Thursday.
For the first time ever, the Barclays Center will serve as host of the Atlantic-10 tournament, and although there will be no local representatives in the field, there are plenty of interesting angles that will keep college hoops fans busy in Brooklyn throughout the weekend.
The A-10 is shaping up to be a five-bid league, with St. Louis, Virginia Commonwealth, Temple, La Salle and Butler all expected to hear their names called on Selection Sunday. And all have intriguing storylines that will play out over the next four days.
Butler and VCU, playing in the conference tournament for the first time since joining the league this year, have officially shed their Cinderella personas and are no longer the mid-major surprises they once were.
Both schools have been ranked in the top-25 at different points this season and their postseason experience as well as being led by two of the brightest young coaches in college hoops, Brad Stevens (Butler) and Shaka Smart (VCU), could make for an enticing championship contest.
While the Bulldogs and Rams are the two biggest names in the league, neither was able to nab the top seed in the tournament. That honor went to St. Louis, which captured the regular season crown by posting a 24-6 record and finished ranked No. 16 in the country.
Making the Billikens’ run all the more impressive is that it came during A-10 Coach of the Year Jim Crews’ first season after taking over for the late Rick Majerus. Majerus went on medical leave prior to this season and eventually passed away this past December.
Since Majerus’ passing, St. Louis has gone 21-3 and have to be the odds on favorite to win the tournament and, although it does not need it, the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
There’s also Temple, which officially moved itself off the bubble with a win against VCU in its season finale. The Owls’ late season run was powered by strong play from the conference’s Player of the Year, Khalif Wyatt. Wyatt averaged 19.9 points and over four assists this season and has scored at least 20 points in eight of his past 11 contests.
Fran Dunphy’s team is leaving the leaving the conference after this season and will look to go out with a bang by winning the tournament before joining the America 12 in the fall.
The four-day stretch at Barclays will also serve as a homecoming for several A-10 stars, including first-team All A-10 guard Chaz Williams.
Williams, who is generously listed at 5-foot-9, is one of the most dynamic guards in the nation. The Brooklyn native played his high school ball just down the road at Bishop Ford High School and spent a year at Hofstra before transferring to UMass and averaging over 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds in his junior season.
Williams will be joined by fellow New Yorker and Hofstra transfer Halil Kanacevic. Kanacevic, from Staten Island, will be looking to help his Hawks pull an upset run after a disappointing regular season. After being picked in the preseason poll to win the A-10, St. Joseph’s finished 17-12 and is the 10th seed heading into Barclays.
In addition to Williams and Kanacevic, VCU freshman Melvin Johnson and Richmond junior Derrick Williams should have a large group of supporters, hailing from The Bronx and Harlem, respectively.
Move over Big East, the A-10 is coming to town and is here to stay.
asulla-heffinger@nypost.com